IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 597 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 12, 2017 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

AN ACT 

To take lands in Sonoma County, California, into trust as 

part of the reservation of the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

HR 597 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lytton Rancheria 

3 Homelands Act of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The Lytton Rancheria of California is a fed7 erally recognized Indian tribe that lost its homeland 

8 after it was unjustly and unlawfully terminated in 

9 1958. The Tribe was restored to Federal recognition 

10 in 1991, but the conditions of its restoration have 

11 prevented it from regaining a homeland on its origi12 nal lands. 

13 (2) Congress needs to take action to reverse 

14 historic injustices that befell the Tribe and have pre15 vented it from regaining a viable homeland for its 

16 people. 

17 (3) Prior to European contact there were as 

18 many as 350,000 Indians living in what is now the 

19 State of California. By the turn of the 19th century, 

20 that number had been reduced to approximately 

21 15,000 individuals, many of them homeless and liv22 ing in scattered bands and communities. 

23 (4) The Lytton Rancheria’s original homeland 

24 was purchased by the United States in 1926 pursu25 ant to congressional authority designed to remedy 

26 the unique tragedy that befell the Indians of CaliVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:35 Jul 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H597.RFS H597

lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

HR 597 RFS

1 fornia and provide them with reservations called 

2 Rancherias to be held in trust by the United States. 

3 (5) After the Lytton Rancheria lands were pur4 chased by the United States, the Tribe settled on 

5 the land and sustained itself for several decades by 

6 farming and ranching. 

7 (6) By the mid-1950s, Federal Indian policy 

8 had shifted back towards a policy of terminating In9 dian tribes. In 1958, Congress enacted the 

10 Rancheria Act of 1958 (72 Stat. 619), which slated 

11 41 Rancherias in California, including the Lytton 

12 Rancheria, for termination after certain conditions 

13 were met. 

14 (7) On August 1, 1961, the Lytton Rancheria 

15 was terminated by the Federal Government. This 

16 termination was illegal because the conditions for 

17 termination under the Rancheria Act had never been 

18 met. After termination was implemented, the Tribe 

19 lost its lands and was left without any means of sup20 porting itself. 

21 (8) In 1987, the Tribe joined three other tribes 

22 in a lawsuit against the United States challenging 

23 the illegal termination of their Rancherias. A Stipu24 lated Judgment in the case, Scotts Valley Band of 

25 Pomo Indians of the Sugar Bowl Rancheria v. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

HR 597 RFS

1 United States, No. C–86–3660 (N.D.Cal. March 22, 

2 1991), restored the Lytton Rancheria to its status 

3 as a federally recognized Indian tribe. 

4 (9) The Stipulated Judgment agreed that the 

5 Lytton Rancheria would have the ‘‘individual and 

6 collective status and rights’’ which it had prior to its 

7 termination and expressly contemplated the acquisi8 tion of trust lands for the Lytton Rancheria. 

9 (10) The Stipulated Judgment contains provi10 sions, included at the request of the local county 

11 governments and neighboring landowners, that pro12 hibit the Lytton Rancheria from exercising its full 

13 Federal rights on its original homeland in the Alex14 ander Valley. 

15 (11) In 2000, approximately 9.5 acres of land 

16 in San Pablo, California, was placed in trust status 

17 for the Lytton Rancheria for economic development 

18 purposes. 

19 (12) The Tribe has since acquired, from willing 

20 sellers at fair market value, property in Sonoma 

21 County near the Tribe’s historic Rancheria. This 

22 property, which the Tribe holds in fee status, is suit23 able for a new homeland for the Tribe. 

24 (13) On a portion of the land to be taken into 

25 trust, which portion totals approximately 124.12 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
5 

HR 597 RFS

1 acres, the Tribe plans to build housing for its mem2 bers and governmental and community facilities. 

3 (14) A portion of the land to be taken into 

4 trust is being used for viniculture, and the Tribe in5 tends to develop more of the lands to be taken into 

6 trust for viniculture. The Tribe’s investment in the 

7 ongoing viniculture operation has reinvigorated the 

8 vineyards, which are producing high-quality wines. 

9 The Tribe is operating its vineyards on a sustainable 

10 basis and is working toward certification of sustain11 ability. 

12 (15) No gaming shall be conducted on the lands 

13 to be taken into trust by this Act. 

14 (16) No gaming shall be conducted on any 

15 lands taken into trust on behalf of the Tribe in 

16 Sonoma County after the date of the enactment of 

17 this Act north of a line that runs in a cardinal east 

18 and west direction from the point where Highway 

19 Route 12 crosses Highway 101 as they are phys20 ically on the ground and used for transportation on 

21 January 1, 2016, and extending to the furthest ex22 tent of Sonoma County. 

23 (17) Any agreement, now or in the future, re24 garding gaming restrictions between Sonoma County 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
6 

HR 597 RFS

1 and the Tribe will be effective without further review 

2 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

3 (18) By directing that these lands be taken into 

4 trust, the United States will ensure that the Lytton 

5 Rancheria will finally have a permanently protected 

6 homeland on which they can once again live 

7 communally and plan for future generations. This 

8 action is necessary to fully restore the Tribe to the 

9 status it had before it was wrongfully terminated in 

10 1961. 

11 (19) The Tribe and County of Sonoma have en12 tered into a Memorandum of Agreement in which 

13 the County agrees to the lands in the County being 

14 taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe in con15 sideration for commitments made by the Tribe. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

17 For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 

18 apply: 

19 (1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means 

20 Sonoma County, California. 

21 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of the Interior. 

23 (3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 

24 Lytton Rancheria of California. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
7 

HR 597 RFS

1 SEC. 4. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The land owned by the Tribe and 

3 generally depicted on the map titled ‘‘Lytton Fee Owned 

4 Property to be Taken into Trust’’ and dated May 1, 2015, 

5 is hereby taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, sub6 ject to valid existing rights, contracts, and management 

7 agreements related to easements and rights-of-way. 

8 (b) LANDS TO BE MADE PART OF THE RESERVA9 TION.—Lands taken into trust under subsection (a) shall 

10 be part of the Tribe’s reservation and shall be adminis11 tered in accordance with the laws and regulations gen12 erally applicable to property held in trust by the United 

13 States for an Indian tribe. 

14 SEC. 5. GAMING. 

15 (a) LANDS TAKEN INTO TRUST UNDER THIS ACT.— 

16 Lands taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe under 

17 section 4 shall not be eligible for gaming under the Indian 

18 Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). 

19 (b) OTHER LANDS TAKEN INTO TRUST.— 

20 (1) TIME-LIMITED PROHIBITION.—Lands taken 

21 into trust for the benefit of the Tribe in Sonoma 

22 County after the date of the enactment of this Act 

23 shall not be eligible for gaming under the Indian 

24 Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710 et seq.) 

25 until after March 15, 2037. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
8 

HR 597 RFS

1 (2) PERMANENT PROHIBITION.—Notwith2 standing paragraph (1), lands located north of a line 

3 that runs in a cardinal east and west direction and 

4 is defined by California State Highway Route 12 as 

5 it crosses through Sonoma County at Highway 101 

6 as they are physically on the ground and used for 

7 transportation on January 1, 2016, and extending to 

8 the furthest extent of Sonoma County shall not be 

9 eligible for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regu10 latory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710 et seq.). 

11 SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAW. 

12 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 

13 Memorandum of Agreement entered into by the Tribe and 

14 the County concerning taking land in the County into 

15 trust for the benefit of the Tribe, which was approved by 

16 the County Board of Supervisors on March 10, 2015, and 

17 any addenda and supplement thereto, is not subject to re18 view or approval of the Secretary in order to be effective, 

19 including review or approval under section 2103 of the Re20 vised Statutes (25 U.S.C. 81). 

Passed the House of Representatives July 11, 2017. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS